Petunia plant named ‘Duesurwice’

ABSTRACT

A new and distinct cultivar of  Petunia  plant named ‘Duesurwice’, characterized by its outwardly spreading to trailing growth habit; freely branching habit; early and freely flowering habit; pale pink-colored flowers with purple-colored venation; and good garden performance.

Botanical designation: Petunia×hybrida.

Cultivar denomination: ‘Duesurwice’.

CROSS-REFERENCED TO CLOSELY RELATED APPLICATIONS

U.S. Plant patent application Ser. No. 12/316,457.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates to a new and distinct cultivar of Petuniaplant, botanically known as Petunia×hybrida and hereinafter referred toby the name ‘Duesurwice’.

The new Petunia plant is a product of a planned breeding programconducted by the Inventor in Rheinberg, Gernany. The objective of thebreeding program is to create new trailing Petunia cultivars withnumerous attractive flowers.

The new Petunia plant originated from a cross-pollination made by theInventor in August, 2005 in Rheinberg, Germany of a proprietaryselection of Petunia×hybrida identified as code number T04-0063-008, notpatented, as the female, or seed, parent with a proprietary selection ofPetunia×hybrida identified as code number F-19-18, not patented, as themale, or pollen, parent. The new Petunia was discovered and selected bythe Inventor as a single flowering plant within the progeny of thestated cross-pollination in a controlled greenhouse environment inRheinberg, Germany in May, 2007.

Asexual reproduction of the new Petunia plant by terminal cuttings in acontrolled greenhouse environment in Rheinberg, Germany since May, 2007,has shown that the unique features of this new Petunia plant are stableand reproduced true to type in successive generations.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

Plants of the new Petunia have not been observed under all possibleenvironmental conditions. The phenotype may vary somewhat withvariations in environment and cultural practices such as temperature andlight intensity without, however, any variance in genotype.

The following traits have been repeatedly observed and are determined tobe the unique characteristics of ‘Duesurwice’. These characteristics incombination distinguish ‘Duesurwice’ as a new and distinct cultivar ofPetunia:

-   -   1. Outwardly spreading to trailing growth habit.    -   2. Freely branching habit.    -   3. Early and freely flowering habit.    -   4. Pale pink-colored flowers with purple-colored venation.    -   5. Good garden performance.

Plants of the new Petunia can be compared to plants of the female parentselection. Plants of the new Petunia differ primarily from plants of thefemale parent selection in flower color. In addition, plants of the newPetunia are more vigorous than plants of the female parent selection.

Plants of the new Petunia can be compared to plants of the male parentselection. Plants of the new Petunia differ primarily from plants of themale parent selection in plants size as plants of the new Petunia aremore compact than plants of the male parent selection. In addition,plants of the new Petunia have larger flowers than plants of the maleparent selection.

Plants of the new Petunia differ primarily from plants ofPetunia×hybrida ‘Duesurimwi’, disclosed in U.S. Plant patent applicationSer. No. 12/316,457, in flower color as plants of ‘Duesurimwi’ havewhite-colored flowers.

Plants of the new Petunia can be compared to plants of thePetunia×hybrida ‘Sunhore’, disclosed in U.S. Plant Pat. No. 17,681. Inside-by-side comparisons conducted in Rheinberg, Germany, plants of thenew Petunia differed primarily from plants of ‘Sunhore’ in the followingcharacteristics:

-   -   1. Plants of the new Petunia were more compact than plants of        ‘Sunhore’.    -   2. Plants of the new Petunia had narrower leaves than plants of        ‘Sunhore’.    -   3. Plants of the new Petunia had larger flowers with longer        peduncles than plants of ‘Sunhore’.    -   4. Plants of the new Petunia and ‘Sunhore’ differed in flower        color as plants of ‘Sunhore’ had coral pink-colored flowers.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE PHOTOGRAPH

The accompanying colored photograph illustrates the overall appearanceof the new Petunia, showing the colors as true as it is reasonablypossible to obtain in colored reproductions of this type. Colors in thephotograph may differ slightly from the color values cited in thedetailed botanical description which accurately describe the colors ofthe new Petunia plant. The photograph comprises a close-up view oftypical flowers and leaves of ‘Duesurwice’.

DETAILED BOTANICAL DESCRIPTION

The aforementioned photograph and following observations, measurementsand values describe plants grown in Rheinberg, Germany, under commercialpractice during the spring in a glass-covered greenhouse with day andnight temperatures averaging 18° C. and light levels averaging 4,500lux. Rooted young plants had been growing for 16 weeks when thephotograph and description were taken. Plants were pinched one timeabout three weeks after planting. In the following description, colorreferences are made to The Royal Horticultural Society Colour Chart,2001 Edition, except where general terms of ordinary dictionarysignificance are used.

-   Botanical classification: Petunia×hybrida ‘Duesurwice’.-   Parentage:    -   -   Female, or seed, parent.—Proprietary selection of            Petunia×hybrida identified as code number T04-0063-008, not            patented.        -   Male, or pollen, parent.—Proprietary selection of            Petunia×hybrida identified as code number F-19-18, not            patented.-   Propagation:    -   -   Type.—By terminal cuttings.        -   Time to initiate roots, summer.—About seven days at            temperatures of 20° C.        -   Time to initiate roots, winter.—About ten days at            temperatures of 20° C.        -   Time to produce a rooted young plant, summer.—About three            weeks at temperatures of 20° C.        -   Time to produce a rooted young plant, winter.—About four            weeks at temperatures of 20° C.        -   Root description.—Fine, fibrous; white in color.        -   Rooting habit.—Freely branching; dense.-   Plant description:    -   -   Plant and growth habit.—Outwardly spreading to trailing            growth habit. Freely branching habit with about eight to ten            lateral branches developing after pinching. Moderately            vigorous growth habit.        -   Plant height.—About 16 cm.        -   Plant diameter.—About 25 cm.-   Lateral branch description:    -   -   Length.—About 24 cm.        -   Diameter.—About 3 mm.        -   Internode length.—About 3.7 cm.        -   Strength.—Moderately strong.        -   Aspect.—Initially upright to outwardly spreading.        -   Texture.—Pubescent.        -   Color.—Close to 144A to 144B.-   Foliage description:    -   -   Arrangement.—Before flowering, alternate, simple; after            flowering, opposite, simple.        -   Length.—About 4.5 cm.        -   Width.—About 1.9 cm.        -   Shape.—Spatulate.        -   Apex.—Obtuse.        -   Base.—Attenuate.        -   Margin.—Entire.        -   Texture, upper and lower surfaces.—Pubescent; leathery.        -   Venation pattern.—Pinnate; arcuate.        -   Color.—Developing and fully expanded leaves, upper surface:            Close to 137A; venation, close to 144B. Developing and fully            expanded leaves, lower surface: Close to 137C; venation,            close to 144B.        -   Petiole length.—About 5 mm.        -   Petiole diameter.—About 3 mm.        -   Petiole texture, upper and lower surfaces.—Pubescent.        -   Petiole color, upper and lower surfaces.—Close to 144B.-   Flower description:    -   -   Flower arrangement and habit.—Salverforn flowers; single            flowers arising from leaf axils. Freely flowering habit with            usually about 25 to 30 open flowers and flower buds per            plant. Flowers face upright to outwardly.        -   Fragrance.—None detected.        -   Natural flowering season.—Plants flower continuously from            late spring into autumn in Germany. Early flowering habit,            plants typically beginning flowering about nine weeks after            planting.        -   Flower longevity.—Individual flowers last about five days on            the plant; flowers persistent.        -   Flower diameter.—About 7 cm.        -   Flower length (height).—About 3 cm.        -   Flower throat diameter.—About 1.2 cm.        -   Flower tube diameter.—About 3 mm.        -   Flower bud.—Shape: Ovoid. Length: About 4.1 cm. Diameter:            About 7 mm. Color: Close to 3D; venation, close to 59A.        -   Corolla.—Arrangement: Five petals fused at the base and            opening into a flared trumpet. Petal length from throat:            About 2.8 cm. Petal lobe width: About 3.2 cm. Petal shape:            Roughly spatulate. Petal apex: Rounded. Petal margin:            Entire. Petal texture, upper and lower surfaces: Smooth,            glabrous; satiny. Throat texture: Smooth, glabrous. Tube            texture: Pubescent. Color: Petal, when opening, upper and            lower surfaces: Close to 69D. Petal, fully opened, upper and            lower surfaces: Close to 69B; color becoming closer to 69C            with development; venation, close to 61A. Flower throat:            Close to 60C; venation, close to 61A. Flower tube: Close to            59B; venation, close to 61A.        -   Calyx.—Arrangement: One star-shaped calyx tube with five            sepals fused at the base per flower. Sepal length: About            3 cm. Sepal width: About 5 mm. Sepal shape: Narrowly oblong.            Sepal apex: Rounded. Sepal margin: Entire. Sepal texture,            upper and lower surfaces: Pubescent. Color, immature and            mature, upper surface: Close to 137A. Color, immature and            mature, lower surface: Close to 137C.        -   Peduncles.—Length: About 3.4 cm. Diameter: About 2 mm.            Strength: Moderately strong. Texture: Pubescent. Color:            Close to 144B.        -   Reproductive organs.—Stamens: Quantity/arrangement: Five per            flower. Anther shape: Ovate. Anther length: About 2.5 mm.            Anther color: Close to 2D. Pollen amount: Abundant. Pollen            color: Close to 2D. Pistils: Quantity: One per flower.            Pistil length: About 2 cm. Style length: About 1.9 cm. Style            color: Between 144B and 145C. Stigma shape: Rounded. Stigma            color: Close to 144B. Ovary color: Close to 144B.            Seed/fruit: Seed and fruit development have not been            observed on plants of the new Petunia.-   Garden performance: Plants of the new Petunia have been observed to    have good garden performance and tolerate wind, rain and    temperatures ranging from about 2° C. to about 38° C.-   Pathogen/pest resistance: Plants of the new Petunia have not been    observed to be resistant to pathogens and pests common to Petunia.

1. A new and distinct Petunia plant named ‘Duesurwice’ as illustratedand described.